Monthly Archives: May 2005

Post navigation

Clear out some more office space in the newsroom. Knock out a wall. Buy some new desks.

Make room for the new citizen editor(s).

We have a bona fide news-industry trend in “citizen journalism” — the notion that it’s an admirable thing and in a news organization’s self-interest to encourage members of the public to participate in news publishing. News Web sites and initiatives in newsrooms are asking citizens (that is, the audience) to contribute not only their opinions but even to submit their own personal “news.” The theory is that this citizen content and enhanced interaction complement professional journalism.

Citizen-journalism initiatives are popping up over the place at newspapers. And even if those publishers plying these uncharted waters are still a small minority, the trend is unmistakable.

Ergo, there’s a new position opening up in some newsrooms: the citizen editor.

…At the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, a Scripps newspaper, a citizen-journalism site debuted about a month ago. YourHub.com is comprised of about 40 Web sites, each covering a city or town in the Denver metro area. Content is a mix of contributions from community members, the occasional staff-written story, and hand-picked links to other publications’ articles about YourHub.com cities.

What may strike you as remarkable (it did me) is that in these early days, the site has a staff of 11 full-time editors. Led by managing editor Travis Henry, YourHub employs one “community editor,” one “producer,” four “community journalists,” and four “community assistants.” They are responsible for producing not only the 40 community Web sites that are part of YourHub.com, but also 15 zoned print editions featuring the best content from the sites, which are inserted into the newspaper.

Henry says the staff is a mix of seasoned journalists and recent journalism graduates. Some have worked for daily and weekly newspapers, in radio, and in media/public relations. Community assistant Kevin Hamm, who has a journalism degree, has a resume that includes bookstore manager, mortgage banker, ski bum, and stay-at-home dad. Everyone on the staff has some sort of journalism background.

Henry acknowledges that the jobs in his department are different than the traditional, and describes them as a cross between doing journalistic tasks like editing and design and marketing the site in order to recruit community content contributors.

A big part of working for YourHub.com is acting in an “ambassador” role, he says, not solely as a journalist. That means encouraging people to submit content. For example, an editor might note that a community event is taking place and contact the organizers to urge that they submit text or photographs (or request that of event participants). A story might run where a community journalist or assistant adds a call for readers to add what they know about the topic or event, expanding on the original story.

YourHub.com editors also write for the site on occasion, acting as “citizen reporters” themselves (albeit paid) — even using the same publishing interface to file a story as do community members. It might surprise you to know that such staff articles are edited before publication. Citizen articles, on the other hand, are left untouched — except for some minor spelling and grammar editing (or occasional cuts due to space limitations) on articles to be included in the zoned print editions.

Joel on Software: Book Reviews: “the short list of all the books that I honestly think that every working programmer needs to read, with my own book hidden in there in case you didn’t notice because I get about two bucks if you buy it.”

I’ve read four of the books on the list already. Good to know my reading tastes are on the right track

Thank you to all the soldiers and their families who have sacrificed so much to secure what me and so many of the rest of us take for granted – our freedom.

It occurs to me that the greatest way to honor that sacrifice is to use our freedom to the fullest: Have you made a life altering choice in the past year? Have you voted in the past two? Do you read the news to stay informed (this one is easy considering my readership!)? Do you take part in debate over the course of the country, of your town?

An admission: I play guitar and song write in a band named “My Brother’s Keeper”. I don’t talk about it much here – I’m shy what can I say?

About our name, “My Brother’s Keeper”: we are actually two sets of brothers. The drummer and bassist. Me and the singer. And no lie – both sets of brothers are brothers to each other. We are all family.

Last year “My Brother’s Keeper” was really starting to jell, we played two shows (one of which at The Sleeping Angels Music Fest) and even recorded a song in a semi-professional setting in the space of four months.

Then winter hit. Life intruded with some personal tragedies and people’s priorities change. I don’t think we’ve had a hand full of full band practices since last November.

For me this is still very important. I think my mental health requires playing guitar at loud volume with folks who have learned to play with me – as I have to play with them. There is a bond that forms unlike any other – I lack the words to describe it.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you our recording Second Chance. I think it shows off the potential of the band, given time to grow. A mix of hard rock, metal and punk. Hope you like it.